Nigel Farage is such a dominant figure in UKIP that the party risks becoming a one-man personality cult, his erstwhile rival for the leadership said yesterday.

David Campbell Bannerman, whom Mr Farage defeated to return as leader in 2010, said: “UKIP is Nigel’s party and it has almost become a cult. The extent that he dominates the party is such that there are no other figures of note anywhere near him.”

Two years ago Mr Campbell Bannerman, an MEP, quit UKIP to join the Conservatives, one of a string of disaffected figures to do so after falling out with Mr